


Quest Preparations

by Grumpel



Series: Of Dwarrowlings and Fauntlings [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Bilbo Baggins, BAMF all around - Freeform, Dwarves in the Shire, F/M, Gen, Hobbits, M/M, The Shire, Young Frodo Baggins, Young Fíli, Young Kíli, Young Ori, dwarrows, fun with dwarrows and hobbits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-24 19:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22243462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpel/pseuds/Grumpel
Summary: The second story in the series "Of Dwarrowlings and Fauntlings" deals with the cliffhanger from the first story. Can you imagine if it didn't? :D"Lots of scheming. Some scheme better than others (not Gandalf)."
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins & Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Dwalin/Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Kili & Fili & Frodo
Series: Of Dwarrowlings and Fauntlings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/538735
Comments: 9
Kudos: 41





	1. Visitors. Or: Frodo wakes up.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to 2020. I do not have any good excuses why it took so long to start posting the second part (I am totally open to workshopping excuses). But I know who I blame...
> 
> I picked this work up again (FINALLY) but it's not fully outlined (meaning I have no idea where it ends) and I am only at the beginning of reviewing the original draft chapters so I cannot promise weekly chapter releases. What I can say is that I am still targeting a total seven stories for this series (feel free to laugh along sardonically with me).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noone died. Well, Primula and Drogo died but it happened before the story.

“Mummy?” The voice was faint but picked up immediately by the other two in the room.

“ _Mahal..._ is he awake? About time!”

There was a thud as someone jumped off the bed followed by bare feet that hit the wooden floor and accompanied by shouts of, “Uncle Bilbo, Uncle Bilbo. Frodo woke up!!”

The dark-haired prince barrelled into the kitchen for a brief moment only to whirl around and, using that momentum, hurl himself right back towards Frodo’s bedroom. Bilbo and Thorin who had been sitting at the dining table just moments ago jumped up from their chairs and chased after him.

“Frodo!” Bilbo threw himself onto the bed, causing Fíli to get out of Bilbo’s reaching arms at the very last moment but before he could throw himself at his little nephew Thorin grabbed the hobbit resolutely under the armpits to lift and gently set him down next to the faunt. The boy was blinking his eyes in confusion as his uncle took his hands and held on with all his might. “Frodo,” he whispered as he stared into his nephew’s eyes, looking for some kind of recognition and clarity in them.

“Un... Uncle Bilbo?” His tiny hands twitched but then calmed as his glance came rest on his uncle. “Wh... why am I in bed?”

“You fainted. How are you feeling my boy?”

“O-okay I think.” He opened his mouth obediently as Bilbo held a small cup to his lips and took a small sip of water. 

“Can you tell me what you remember?”

The fauntling’s brows furrowed as he tried to answer. “In the Old Forest. I-I saw something on the ground and ...” suddenly he fought to sit up. “Fíli and Kíli - Uncle Bilbo, we have to tell them, they are in danger! We have to - ” 

“- It’s alright, Frodo, we’re right here!” Fíli leaned back over the bed and with great gentleness touched his friend’s shoulder. Frodo let out a huff and fell back onto his pillow just as his uncle fluffed it to give him some extra support.

“But - I saw!” and with this exclamation Frodo began to tremble. Bilbo and Thorin exchanged an alarmed look before the older hobbit pulled his young charge into his arms and rocked him. “Shhh, it’s ok, you’re here with us, everyone’s here, we’re ok.”

Only to have a muffled voice exclaim, “Everything was in flames! The Shire, Bag End... on fire! You...” A horror filled sob stopped the rest of the sentence as his uncle continued to pat his back.Thorin stopped Kíli from jumping onto the bed.

“Don’t worry, my dear boy, you’re safe now. Nothing’s burning, Bag End is not on fire and we are all fine. See?” Frodo peaked up from under Bibo’s ear to see his dwarven friends nodding. 

“Gandalf will be back very soon, and then we will sort out whatever that dream of yours is. You have to rest some more though, promise me?” With gentle hands Bilbo pried Frodo from his chest and used his handkerchief to wipe at the faunt’s wet cheeks before he handed him another cup, this one filled with warm chamomile tea.

Thorin grumbled, more to himself than to the rest of the room, “He better not have ditched Dwalin and disappeared. Blasted wizards and their timing.”

\---

Gandalf and his self-proclaimed bodyguard returned to the smial as the sun began its slow descent over the hills. A tint of orange gave the wizard’s tall hat and the warrior’s shiny bald head a warm glow as they marched up the path toward Bag End and the regal dwarrow who was leaning against the front door frame with his arms crossed and the mightiest frown on his face. “We expected you back hours ago.”

“ _We_ would have returned hours ago had it not been for Tharkun’s insistence to stop by the Thain’s. A lengthy discourse on proper party planning is not something I wish to take part in ever again.” Dwalin grumbled with obvious resentment.

“You must be starved, both of you. Out all day with no lunch or afternoon tea. Come in and sit down, I’ve put aside some supper for you.” Bilbo’s voice came from the kitchen, and although all three were acutely aware of the hobbit’s preoccupation with his nephew, each of them also understood how not letting him feed them would send their host into further anxiety. So without any complaints they trudged into the kitchen and sat down. This also gave the hobbit the opportunity to tell his wizard friend about the dream that had terrified Frodo.

“Flames, you say?” Gandalf leaned back from the table sated and patted the insides of his robe for his pipe as he mulled over the facts. “I would have expected young Frodo to have nightmares about floods and torrential waters since his parents drowned in the Brandywater rivers ...”

“What a cruel thing to say!” Bilbo interrupted. 

“Bilbo, I am merely speaking the truth.” Gandalf responded slightly sheepishly.

“I don’t see how his parents’ manner of death has anything to do with what is happening to him now.” the hobbit countered

“Could this be a dream about dragon fire, Tharkun?” The royal dwarrow interjected.

“Dr...dra...dragon fire?” Bilbo stared at Thorin.

The grey wizard glared at the king in response. “And whatever do you think would possibly lure a dragon to the Shire, Your Highness? The tastiest apple pies in all of Middle Earth?”

Thorin and Dwalin merely snorted - for dwarrows were painfully aware that dragons only coveted gold and gems - something that their kind almost loved as much as the winged beasts. 

The Shire however, was not a place where such things were treasured or kept around: The land of the hobbits was best known for its lush nature and some of the finest foods a land could produce.

“No dragon will be coming to the Shire, I give you my word.” Gandalf finished the conversation, standing up from the table and heading towards the bedrooms. Bilbo hurried after him while Dwalin nudged the king and smirked at him in a way that left no doubt about what he thought of Thorin’s diplomacy skills.

Frodo still laid against his propped up pillow and dozed as his two darven companions kept themselves busy whispering to each other, Fíli absentmindedly stroking the patient’s arm. The wizard’s sudden appearance startled Kíli and Fíli which in turn woke the young hobbit from his light slumber. 

“Gandalf!” Frodo’s face lit up in relief when he saw his godfather cross the threshold of the bedroom and kneel down to give him a heartfelt hug.

“My dear boy! I heard that you managed to scare every hobbit and dwarrow within the vicinity of the Hill, so here I am, to help settle whatever matter needs to be settled so you may go back to being your unbothered self.” Gandalf removed his hat and set it on the table beside the table, leaned his staff against the wall and sat down on the bed, carefully slinging his arm around the boy while he I gave a small nod to the two brothers who watched him with apprehension. He turned back to the dark curly-haired boy. “Now, do you think you can tell this old wizard what has upset you so?” 

Frodo swallowed, his eyes darting quickly between the two princes, Gandalf and the door. “I am ... there was ... a fire... a fire eye watched me. It demanded something that I found. It said it would find everyone I loved and k-ki-kill them.” The little hobbit looked around in a great fright. “Can you make it stop in my head, Gandalf?”

“Hmm, a fire eye you say, Frodo?” Gandalf was calm but Bibo noticed that he was fiddling with his pipe. “What did it want from you?”

“A ring, I found a ring in the old forest! It’s so shiny... and ... where is it? Did anyone find it” Frodo slid close to the edge of the bed, his face even paler than before, his eyes round as saucers with pupils so large that there was very little of the iris remaining, a stark contrast to the rest of his eyes.

Fíli reached for his new friend, concern written plainly on his face but he was met with a fierce “No!” Frodo tried to slide out of the bed from the side that was the furthest from the young dwarrow while he peered at the door. “Uncle Bilbo?” he uttered in a timid voice.

“I’m right here, oh dear.” Bilbo reassured him as he entered his nephew’s bedroom with a tray that he set aside on the bedside table and started fussing with the blankets. Thorin appeared by the door and gave his nephews a serious look that had both of them scurrying over to his side where they whispered to him in hushed and urgent tones.

“Do you have my ring?” Frodo resumed his questioning.

“Shhh, noone’s seen a ring but I promise you that we’ll find it. You need to get some sleep first though, my heart. Please?” Bilbo pleaded. Frodo hesitated for a long time, eyes round as saucers but he had exhausted himself enough to take the sleeping drought Bilbo offered without resistance and was soon back in slumber.


	2. Serious Conversations. Or: Lots of talk with little action.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the box says. Very short chapter but I had to rewrite it because the dialogue sounded far too stilted. I hope this is a bit better.

“Frodo is my responsibility.” Bilbo glared at Thorin just above his raised pointing finger.

“Both of you are under my immediate protection.” Thorin shook his head, still somewhat in disbelief at the lack of logic his host was displaying in this particular situation.

“What? This is my roof that you are currently under, your highness! As a guest, you are under MY protection and it is my duty to see to your comfort, and yes, keep rolling your eyes at me, but your safety is my responsibility!”

The dwarven king harrumphed. “Have you lost your sanity, hobbit? You wish to protect ME? Do you know how ridicu-?”

“If you even think about finishing that last sentence I swear I will make you regret that you ever met a hobbit!”

“Your Majesty! Master Baggins.” Dori deftly stepped between the two of them, forcing them to step away from each other as he gave a polite bow to each of them in turn. “May I suggest that you sit down in the study and share any further thoughts over the tea that I would be delighted to prepare for you.”

Thorin’s scowl deepened when he noticed the highly enthralled group that watched them as if they were witnessing a death match.

Dori had arrived earlier, delivering the news that the Thain was going to make his way to Bag End at the behest of Gandalf, and with that, had kicked off the fierce arguing about who would be dealing with the matter at hand.

Thorin rubbed his eyes. “You’re right, Master Dori.” and with this he turned back to the hobbit, “Perhaps having some fresh tea will calm you sufficiently to allow you to see that my suggestion makes the most sense.”

“I will most certainly not agree to letting you save us like some damsels in distress!” Bilbo spluttered.

“Then stop telling me to keep my giant nose out of your business.”

“It is MY business.”

“There is far more at stake, Master Baggins.”

“Why do you think that?” Lobelia who had been sitting near the fireplace with Dwalin spoke up.

Thorin hesitated for a moment, then growled, “This ring. I believe it has dark magic.” 

And to the shouts of “What?”, “Impossible!”, “How can you say that!”, “There is no magic!” Thorin rubbed his face in frustration before he pleaded, “Will you ALL JUST CALM DOWN ...”

“I never had imagined that I would see the day when Thorin appeals to hobbits to be calm.” Gandalf stepped into the living room, stashing away his pipe in one of his many hidden robe pockets. 

“Finally Tharkun.” grumbled Thorin. “Would you please inform everyone about your suspicions about the ring Frodo found, and the immense danger it may bring to the Shire?”

“Whatever makes you think that I know what that ring may or may not do, Thorin?” Gandalf sat himself down onto the nearest non-hobbit sized stool.

“Don’t insult me with your befuddled old man act. I have lived for more than two centuries and my teachers made sure to educate me on the entire history of middle earth, not just this age. I will recite the very thorough story of the rings if I must.”

“What in Yvanna’s green pastures could this trinket do if we decided to bury it deep within the earth?” Bilbo snorted.

The wizard nodded. “Quite a valid question, my dear Bilbo. However,” and with this, he removed his handkerchief from a hidden compartment within the robe and held it up, carefully unfolding it until he revealed a small golden ring nestled within. An involuntary shiver went through everyone in the room.

“I’m afraid Thorin is correct, and we may have indeed a very serious matter at hand. This ring is an artefact born during the first age, powerful enough that even I may not dare to touch it with my bare hands.” He gave every person in the room a severe glance, “I must insist that you keep its existence known to noone beyond this circle. The fate of the world will be at stake should it fall into the wrong hands.”

Kíli couldn’t help but let out an involuntary squeak from where Fíli and he had hidden to hear the conversation. It was only through sheer instincts that Fíli had immediately clamped his hand over his brother’s mouth before the room erupted again in shocked exclamations to Gandalf’s revelations.

Fíli knew that he had to act fast. He removed his hand from Kili’s mouth and quickly signed a few words in Iglishmek as they carefully crawled out of Bilbo’s hallway closet and eased himself through the hallway and out through the backyard door. They ran far into the fields as soon as they carefully closed the door behind, then stepped onto the road further down the hill.

“What do you think is going to happen, Fee? We have to do something!”

“Well, the first thing that will happen is that the adults will tell us that there is nothing for us to do. Then someone, perhaps Bilbo or Lobelia, will be asked to watch over us while Uncle and Dwalin rustle up everyone else and go do something incredibly heroic without us.”

“That’s not fair! We’re here because we are supposed to learn how to be adults.” Kíli kicked a rock on the path.

“Of course it’s not fair. Neither mum nor uncle really want us to do anything adventurous.” Fíli shook his head firmly. “No, we will have to prove once and for all that we are ready to become dwarven warriors.”

“And how are we going to do this when we are not allowed to go with them?”

Fíli grinned. “I have an idea....”


End file.
